Putting practice green

ABSTRACT

A plurality of pads adapted to be arranged in series to form a putting practice green; each pad has a base and a plurality of inflatable bags on the base under a simulated grass surface; conduits connect the airbags to valves engageable by a foot or hand operated pump for selectively inflating the airbags to produce a desired contour of the grass surface; a putting hole in each pad has a plug therein resiliently urged to the level of the grass surface, and cooperating projections in the putting hole and on the plug are provided to hold said plug depressed into the hole when in play.

" United States Patent K00 1 1 July 1, 1975 1 1 PUTTING PRACTICE GREEN Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo B B. 1016 A t A [76] Inventor gg s Calm Ve Attorney, Agent, or FzrmGeorge B. White 122] Filed: Sept. 3, 1974 [52] US. Cl. 273/176 H; 273/178 13; 273/34 B [51) Int. Cl. A63B 69/36; A638 57/00 [58] Field of Search 273/176, 34, 177, 178, 273/179, 180, 195

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,673,852 6/1928 Underwood et a1. 273/34 A 1,826,641 10/1931 Waddell 273/34 A 3,690,673 9/1972 Occhipinti 273/176 H 3,735,988 5/1973 Palmer et a1 273/176 H nu' ft z M21 I i 5 7 ABSTRACT A plurality of pads adapted to be arranged in series to form a putting practice green; each pad has a base and a plurality of inflatable bags on the base under a simulated grass surface; conduits connect the airbags to valves engageable by a foot or hand operated pump for selectively inflating the airbags to produce a desired contour of the grass surface; a putting hole in each pad has a plug therein resiliently urged to the level of the grass surface, and cooperating projections in the putting hole and on the plug are provided to hold said plug depressed into the hole when in play.

2 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PUTTING PRACTICE GREEN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are practicing devices for putting, but applicant is not aware of any device which is capable of adjustment to selected undulations of simulated green surface.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simulated putting green wherein undulations of the surface of the green can be quickly and selectively adjusted and changed at the will' of the player.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of units adapted to be arranged in series to form a selected putting green, and in which the undulations of each unit can be easily adjusted or changed, and the units of which can be easily stacked for storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the putting units laid out in series relatively to the position of the player.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the units stacked.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the pads with the pump in pumping position.

FIG. 4 is developed view of the parts of the pad.

FIG. 5 is a fragmental sectional view of the valve housing and the conduits for inflatable bags.

FIG. 6 is a fragmental partly sectional view of one of the valves closed.

FIG. 7 is a fragmental sectional view of one of the valves opened by the nozzle of the pump.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of one of the putting holes with the plug at the level of the simulated green surface.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the putting hole with the plug depressed.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bottom of the plug with the spring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of putting pads I can be laid in a row to form a runway for putting practice by a player 2. The pads 1 can be stacked as shown in FIG. 2.

Each pad, as shown in FIG. 4, includes a base 3, a plurality of inflatable bags 4, and a top sheet 6 of simulated grass surface. The top sheet 6 is elastic to conform to the shapes of the bags 4 when inflated, thereby to form a putting surface with selected undulations. The top sheet 6 is secured at its edges to the base 3. A flexible conduit 7 extends from each bag 4. All the conduits 7 terminate in a well 8 at one edge 9 of the base sheet 3. Holes 11 extend through the edge 9 at the well 8. A valve block 12 is placed over the edge 9, holes 13 of which register with the holes 11.

As shown in FIGS. 5 7, a valve casing 14 is inserted into each hole 11. A reduced end 16 of the valve casing 14 is adapted to receive thereon the end of one of the conduits 7. A valve support 17 has a threaded neck 18 extending through one of the holes 13 and is threaded into the adjacent valve casing 14. On an internal boss 19 in the valve support 17 is mounted a support spring 21 on the end of which is a resiliently compressible valve 22. The spring 21 is so biased as to urge the valve 22 into a valve seat 23 in the valve support 17, as shown in FIG. 6.

A putting hole 25 in each pad 1 has a cup 26 therein. A plug 27 in the cup 26 has a simulated grass surface 28 which covers the putting hole 25 so that it complements the putting surface of the pad. The plug 27 has ears 29, extended therefrom spaced below the putting surface 28. As the plug 27 is depressed into the putting cup 26 against the action of a coil spring 31, from the position shown in FIG. 8 to the position shown in FIG. 9, it is suitably turned to bring the ears 29 under projections 32 in the lower portion of the putting cup 26. In this manner the putting cup 27 in the selected pad 1 is uncovered for putting practice.

The pump 33 in this illustrave embodiment is adapted to be operated by the hand or foot of the player. The nozzle 34 of the pumps has a tapered tip 36, shown in FIG. 7 which pushes the valve 22 out of the way. By pushing the nozzle tip 36 into the valve seat 23 only partially the air can be released from the inflated bag 4.

I claim:

1. In a putting practice green,

a, baseboard,

a resiliently flexible element forming a simulated putting surface, on the board,

and selectively manipulatable means for producing selected undulations of said putting surface,

a putting hole in the putting surface,

and releasable means to plug said hole at will so as to complement the putting surface,

said selectively manipulatable means including a plurality of inflatable bags,

a conduit extended from each bag,

valve means for each of said conduits located at an edge of the board in a position accessible from the outside of said board,

and manipulatable inflating means connectable se- Iectively to the respective valve means.

2. The putting practice green specified in claim 1,

and

a mounting element at said edge of said board,

said valve means including a valve casing for each valve means on said mounting element connected to the respective conduit,

a valve seat in each casing, and a resiliently yieldable valve in each casing normally seated on the adjacent valve seat,

and a conductor element on said inflating means capable of pushing said valve off its seat. 

1. In a putting practice green, a, baseboard, a resiliently flexible element forming a simulated putting surface, on the board, and selectively manipulatable means for producing selected undulations of said putting surface, a putting hole in the putting surface, and releasable means to plug said hole at will so as to complement the putting surface, said selectively manipulatable means including a plurality of inflatable bags, a conduit extended from each bag, valve means for each of said conduits located at an edge of the board in a position accessible from the outside of said board, and manipulatable inflating means connectable selectively to the respective valve means.
 2. The putting practice green specified in claim 1, and a mounting element at said edge of said board, said valve means including a valve casing for each valve means on said mounting element connected to the respective conduit, a valve seat in each casing, and a resiliently yieldable valve in each casing normally seated on the adjacent valve seat, and a conductor element on said inflating means capable of pushing said valve off its seat. 